Savile’s bandicoot rat (B. savilei) have dark brown or
brownish grey body fur, weigh up to 350 grams, and measure up to 40 cm long
including their brown tails. A chunky medium sized rat. The colour effect on the
back is produced by a mixture of black and buff hairs, similar to Rattus
argentiventer . the black colour of the bandicoot is more variable than that
of the rat. The unicoloured tail, feet and underparts are of various shads of
grey, which distinguish this species from the Norway Rat,Rattus norviegicus
which has white feet.

Range Description:

Any of five Asiatic species of rodents closely associated with
human populations. This species occurs in mainland South East Asia: central
Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam (Dang et al. 1994), and Cambodia (Aplin et al.
2003). It is probably present in lowland areas of Lao PDR, within the valley of
the Mekong River (Aplin et al. 2003). This species is sympatric in much of its
range with B. indica.Countries: Native:
Cambodia; Myanmar; Thailand; Vietnam

Taxonomic Notes:

Aplin et
al. (2003) described external morphological criteria for distinguishing B.
indica from B. savilei, based upon large samples collected in
sympatry in Cambodia and Vietnam. Populations in Myanmar, attributable to
savilei, appear to be genetically distinct from those in the neighbouring part
of the range for which the available name would be curtata (K. Aplin pers.
comm.).

Population:

B. savilei is locally abundant across its range.
Population Trend: Stable

Habitat and Ecology:

This is an adaptable species, present primarily in degraded
habitats and regarded as a major agricultural pest in certain areas, being
commonly found in rain fed paddy fields and corn fields. They are excluded from
southerly inundated parts of mainland South East Asia, and appear to be absent
from forested environments. Systems: Terrestrial.

The lesser bandicoot rat is found on the Indian
subcontinent, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), and Myanmar (Burma) and has been
introduced on Pinang Island off the western coast of the Malay Peninsula,
northern Sumatra, eastern Java, Saudi Arabia, and Patta Island in Kenya.
Savile’s bandicoot rat, on the other hand, occurs only on the mainland of
Southeast Asia. These three terrestrial species are nocturnal or active at
twilight, constructing burrows where they nest and where they bear their
litters, which number from 2 to 18. They subsist on grains, fruit, and
invertebrates and are destructive to cultivated crops. The lesser bandicoot rat,
an especially aggressive burrower, has been reported to make tunnels in the
concrete cellars of rice warehouses in Calcutta.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to the species. However, it is
hunted and sold for food, and they are also poisoned extensively as an
agricultural pest.